On July 10 2026, I retired the 2008 13″ Macbook Aluminum that has been running as my web server/firewall/testbed for the last 4-5 years. A couple of unexpected power events and complete server lockups indicated that this old friend needed a rest.
I replaced it with this — no endorsement on my part; just stating the facts. While a small homelab/office workstation cube may not be to everyone’s liking, I can tell you that with resource-constrained applications where the old Macbook had struggled, the new machine is more than capable.
I had considered buying an old laptop to serve the purpose, but this little box is quiet, unobtrusive, and does what I ask it too.
I’m a little sad to see a laptop that I have been using since 2008 fall out of service, but there comes a point where it just doesn’t do any job anymore.
I’m not getting rid of it. I’m sure I will find a use for it some day. Just like everytime I thought that it was permanently retired. There is always a use for computer hardware of all kinds.
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